Skiing game

ABSTRACT

Apparatus and method for and of playing a skiing game, the game being played on either snow or in the water. First and second rows of receptacles are positioned on opposite sides of a hazard. Each receptacle in the first row contains a removable object. When the game is played on snow, the hazard is a ridge or bump formed between the first and second rows; and when the game is played in water, the hazard is a crest of a wake left by a boat which passes between the first and second rows. The player passes the outer edge of a receptable in the first row, picks up the object, crosses the hazard, passes the outer edge of a corresponding receptacle in the second row and deposits the object in the receptacle. The player again crosses the hazard, passes the outer edge of another receptable in the first row, picks up another object, recrosses the hazard again, passes the outer edge of another corresponding receptacle in the second row, deposits the other object in that other corresponding receptacle and so on. Additional rows of receptacles and objects can be added on opposite sides of the hazard in order that more than one player can simultaneously play the game.

United States Patent 1 Wainwright et a1.

' [111 3,826,494 [451 July 30,1974

1 1 SKIING GAME [76] Inventors: Richard A. Wainwright; Stephen A.

Wainwright, both of 9704 Kensington Pky., Kensington, Md. 20795 [22] Filed: Dec. 27, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 212,321

[52] US. Cl 273/1 R, 272/1 B [51] int. Cl. A63b 69/18, A63b 71/02 $81 Field of Search 273/1 R, 1 E, 1 M; 272/1 B, 1 R

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,679,659 8/1928 Hasskarl ct a1 273/1 R X 2,454,478 11/1948 Roberts 273/1 R X 3.627.317 12/1971 Whitsitt 273/1 R Primary E.\'amincrRichurd C. Pinkham Aixs'islanl Exumim'r-Paul E. Shapiro [57] ABSTRACT Apparatus and method for and of playing a skiing game, the game being played on either snow or in the water. First and second rows of receptacles are positioned on opposite sides of a hazard. Each receptacle in the first row contains a removable object. When the game is played on snow, the hazard is a ridge or bump formed between the first and second rows; and when the game is played in water, the hazard is a crest of a wake left by a boat which passes between the first and second rows. The player passes the outer edge of a receptable in the first row, picks up the object, crosses the hazard, passes the outer edge of a corresponding receptacle in the second row and deposits the object in the receptacle. The player again crosses the hazard, passes the outer edge of another receptable in the first row, picks up another object, recrosses the hazard again, passes the outer edge of another corresponding receptacle in the second row, deposits the other object in that other corresponding receptacle and so on. Additional rows of receptacles and objects can be added on opposite sides of the hazard in order that more than one player can simultaneously play the game.

5 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures -1 SKIING GAME BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention This invention relates to a method and apparatus of and for playing a skiing game which can be adapted for both water and snow conditions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Purpose of the Invention It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus of and for playing a skiing game.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus of and for playing a skiing game which is adaptable for snow and water conditions.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a skiing game which tests the skill of the player, and which can be performed on a competitive basis.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out hereinafter.

Brief Description of the Invention According to a broad aspect of this invention there is provided a skiing game comprising at least first and second receptacles anchored to a surface, said second receptacle being separated from said first receptacle by a hazard, a removable object placed within said first receptacle, and means for carrying a player past an outer edge of each of the first and second receptacles whereby the player removes said object from said first receptacle, crosses the hazard, and deposits the object in the second receptacle as he passes the outer edge of said second receptacle.

A feature of the invention further provides one set of receptacles aligned with said first receptacle forming a first row of receptacles on one side of the hazard, another set of receptacles aligned with said second receptacle forming a second row of receptacles on the other side of the hazard and a removable object placed within each receptacle of said one set, whereby the player removes each said object from each receptacle of said first row, crosses the hazard and deposits each said object in a corresponding receptacle in said second row as he passes the outer edge of the corresponding receptacle.

Another feature of the invention provides that each receptacle is comprised of a ring having a hollow portion, and each object is comprised of a cone having a stem handle extending from the base of said cone whereby the peaked end of said cone can be positioned within the hollow portion of either of said receptacles.

Still another feature of the invention provides that each rceptacle is comprised of a ring having a hollow portion, and each object is comprised of a spherical ball having a stem handle extending from the surface of said ball whereby said ball can fit within the hollow portion, the outer diameter of said ring being larger than the diameter of the base of the cone, whereby the pin of either of said receptacles fits within the hollow portion of said ring.

A still further feature of the invention provides that said carrying means is comprised of a pair of skiis attached to the feet of the player.

Still a further feature of the invention provides that said game is adapted for water skiing, said receptacles being adapted to float on the surface of the water and an anchor being attached to the bottom of each receptacle so as to fix the position of each receptacle in the water, said carrying means further including a rope, one end of said rope being coupled to the body of the player, a boat attached to the other end of said rope, whereby said boat passes between said first and second rows of receptacles, and the hazard is comprised of the crest of a wake left by the passing boat.

A further additional feature of the invention provides that said one end of said rope is grasped by at least one hand of the player.

A still further additional feature of the invention provides that said carrying means further includes a ring having an inner portion positioned against the body of the player, and said one end of said rope is attached to another portion of said ring, which other portion is opposite said inner portion.

Another additional feature of the invention further provides third and fourth rows of receptacles, said third row being on said one side of the hazard and said fourth row being on said other side of the hazard, an object placed within each receptacle of said third row, and means for carrying another player past the outer edge of each receptacle of the third and fourth rows of receptacles whereby the other player transfers the objects from the third row of receptacles to the fourth row of receptacles. I

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of playing a skiing game comprising the steps of passing along the outer edge of a first receptacle having a removable object placed therein, removing said object, traversing a hazard, moving along the outer edge of a second receptacle, and depositing said object within said second receptacle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings in which are shown various possible embodiments of my invention,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one type of receptacle;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one type of an object associated with the receptacle shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is another object associated with the receptacle shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of another type of receptacle and corresponding object;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of two rows of receptacles illustrating the adaptation of the game;

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing at least four rows of receptacles illustrating how the game will be played by two individuals simultaneously;

F IG. 7 is a top view of a player being pulled by a boat wherein the player is water skiing without any hands by using a ring which is placed against his body;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged top view of the ring shown in FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged side view of the ring shown in FIG. 7.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The basic apparatus used in this game involves a receptacle and and object. Hereinafter the receptacle will be referred to as a Wright and the object will be referred to as a Wain.

One type of Wright 10 is shown in FIG. 1 wherein this Wright is in the form of a ring and has a centrally located hollow portion 12. If the game is to be played in water, Wright 10 is anchored in a fixed position along the surface of the water by attaching one end 14 of anchor line 16 to bottom 17 of Wright 10, and the other end 18 of anchor line 16 to anchor weight 19. If the game is to be played in the snow, Wright 10 could be anchored to the snow surface by use of similar weights or by staking Wright 10 thereto, or even possibly by slightly embedding Wright 10 within the surface of the snow.

Two examples of Wains which could be used in association with Wright 10 are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In FIG. 2, Wain 20 is comprised of a cone having a pickup handle 22 extending from the base thereof. In FIG. 3 another Wain 24 is comprised of a sphere having a pickup handle 26 extending from the surface thereof. Wains 20 and 24 are suitably dimensioned so as to fit within the hollow portion 12 of Wright 10. Furthermore, weights 28 and 30 are respectively embedded within thoseportions of Wains 20 and 24 which are located opposite respective pickup handles 22 and 26 so as to ensure that thepickup handles of the respective Wains will extend upwards.

Another form of Wain and Wright is shown in FIG. 4. In this example, a Wright 32 is in the form ofa cone having a pin 34 extending from the base thereof, while a Wain 36 is comprised of a ring which can be placed over pin 34 so as to rest on the base 38 of Wright 32. However, the outer diameter of Wain 36 should be greater than the diameter of base 38 of Wright 32 so as to facilitate the picking up of Wain 36. If the game is to be played in water, Wright 32 is anchored in a fixed position along the surface of the water by attaching one end 40 of anchor line 42 to bottom 43 of Wright 32, and the other end 44 of anchor line 42 to anchor weight 46. If the game is to be played in snow, Wright 32 could be anchored to the surface of the snow by staking it thereto or by slightly embedding it therein.

All of the variations of Wains and Wrights described above could be made of any suitable material such as rubber or plastic, etc., and when the game is played in water, the Wains and Wrights should have sufficient buoyancy so a to float on the surface of the water.

An explanation of the game will be made referring to FIG. 5. A first row 47, comprised of at least one Wright 48 or Wrights 48, 50 and 52, is formed on one side of hazard 54, while a second row 55, comprised of at least one Wright 56 of Wrights 56, 58 and 60, is formed on the other side of hazard 54. Wains 62, 64 and 66 (denoted by Xs) are placed within respective Wrights 48, 50, and 52. A player must pass the outer edge 68 of Wright 48, pick up Wain 62, cross hazard 54, pass the outer edge 70 of Wright 56, and deposit Wain 62 therein. The player then must again cross hazard 54, pass the outer edge 71 of Wright 50, pick up Wain 64, cross hazard 54, pass the outer edge 72 of Wright 58 and deposit Wain 64 therein. The player again then must cross hazard 54, pass the outer edge 74 of Wright 52, pick up Wain 66, cross hazard 54, pass the outer edge 76 of Wright 60, and deposit Wain 66 therein. In this example, once Wain 66 is deposited in Wright 60 the run is completed, but of course the run can be extended by having more Wrights and Wains placed on either side of hazard 54.

If the game were to be played on snow, the snow surface would be inclined downward in the direction of arrow 78 and hazard 54 could be comprised of bumps or ridges in the plane of the snow separating the respective rows of Wrights. If the game is played on water, hazard 54 is comprised of a crest of a wake left by boat 80 which passes between the first and second rows of Wrights. 7

Means for carrying the individual through the above described run is provided by a pair of skiis 82 (shown in FIG. 7) attached to the feet of the individual, and the more expert player may choose to use only one ski attached to one or both feet. When the game is played on snow, no carrying means other than skiis are necessary, and in fact the player may not be permitted to use ski poles.

When the game is played on water, additional carrying means is provided by rope 84 which has one end 85 attached to boat 80 (as illustrated in FIG. 7) and the other end 86 coupled to the individual. As indiciated by dotted lines in FIG. 7, the individual can grasp the other end 86 of rope 84. Alternatively, for more experienced players, the individuals hands and arms 88 can be extended outward so as not to touch rope 84, and end 86 of rope 84 can be attached to hooks 90 of ring 92 (shown in FIGS. 8 and 9). Ring 92 (as illustrated in FIG. 7) can have an inner portion 94 thereof resting against the neck, back, or even legs of the player so as to pull the player through the run.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the third and fourth respective rows 96 and 98 of Wrights can be added so that two players can play simultaneously and'follow runs 100 and 102.

The game can be scored as follows. The successful pickup of a Wain and its deposition in a corresponding Wright on the other side of the hazard is awarded two points. Three points are awarded if the individual is playing with only one ski or alternatively if the individual is playing with two skis and is not using any hands to grasp the rope, but instead has a ring attached to his body. Five points is scored for the above operation if the individual is playing with only one ski and has the ring attached-to his body. N points can be added if an individual successfully completes all the operations during a single run. If two individuals are playing simultaneously on snow, additional points can be awarded to the first individual who completes the run if he has at least successfully completed half the operations.

Points can be deducted from the score as follows: One point is deducted if a Wain is deposited in a Wright when the player is not passing the outer edge of that Wright; two points are deducted if the player collides with another player; three points are deducted if the player collides with either his own or a completing players Wright. The player loses five points and is disqualified if he falls off the skiis and he may not score any more points during that particular game. The individual can also be disqualified for a game and loses ten points if he discards one ski in the run area.

Two runs through the course comprise one game and two games make up a complete set, and the player who has the most points at the end of a set is the winner. All ties are broken by having a single run-off run through the course.

Separate classes for players can be set up so that those of reasonably similar skill can compete against each other. For example, the top class can consist of players who use one ski and the ring; the next class can consist of players who use two skis and the ring; the next class can consist of players who just use one ski and grasp the rope with their hands; and lower classes can consist of senior, intermediate, junior, apprentice and novice players. Of course, qualifications can be set up to place each player in the proper class by having him complete a minimum number of operations when attempting to qualify for the class.

It thus is seen that there is provided a skiing game which achieves the several objects of the invention and is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, his to be understood that all matter herein described, or shown in the accompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described the invention, there is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent:

can be positioned within the hollow portion of either of said receptacles, and means for carrying a player past an outer edge of each of the first and second receptacles whereby the player removes said object from said first receptacle, crosses the hazard, and deposits the object in the second receptacle as he passes the outer edge of said second receptacle.

2. A skiing game according to claim 1 wherein said carrying means is comprised of a pair of skiis which are attachable to the feet of the player.

3. A skiing game according to claim 1 wherein said game is adapted for water skiing, said receptacles being adapted to float on the surface of the water and an anchor being attached to the bottom of each receptacle so as to fix the position of each receptacle in the water, said carrying means further including a rope, one end of said rope being coupled to a boat, and the other end adapted to be coupled to a person whereby said boat passes between said first and second receptacles.

4. A skiing game according to claim 3 wherein the hazard is comprised of the crest of a wake left by the passing boat.

5. A skiing game according to claim 3 wherein said carrying means further includes a ring having an inner portion adapted to be positioned against the body of the player, and said other end of said rope is attached to another portion of said ring, which other portion is opposite said inner portion. 

1. A skiing game comprising: at least first and second receptacles anchored to a surface, said second receptacle being separated from said first receptacle by a hazard; each of said receptacles being provided with a ring having a hollow portion, a removable object placed within said first receptacle; said object being provided with a cone having a stem handle extending from the base of said cone whereby the peaked end of said cone can be positioned within the hollow portion of either of said receptacles, and means for carrying a player past an outer edge of each of the first and second receptacles whereby the player removes said object from said first receptacle, crosses the hazard, and deposits the object in the second receptacle as he passes the outer edge of said second receptacle.
 2. A skiing game according to claim 1 wherein said carrying means is comprised of a pair of skiis which are attachable to the feet of the player.
 3. A skiing game according to claim 1 wherein said game is adapted for water skiing, said receptacles being adapted to float on the surface of the water and an anchor being attached to the bottom of each receptacle so as to fix the position of each receptacle in the water, said carrying means further including a rope, one end of said rope being coupled to a boat, and the other end adapted to be coupled to a person whereby said boat passes between said first and second receptacles.
 4. A skiing game according to claim 3 wherein the hazard is comprised of the crest of a wake left by the passing boat.
 5. A skiing game according to claim 3 wherein said carrying means further includes a ring having an inner portion adapted to be positioned against the body of the player, and said other end of said rope is attached to another portion of said ring, which other portion is opposite said inner portion. 